Dr Nicholas Rush Drabble 99 Shock
by Erin Marie S
Summary: Just what was Rush thinking when watching the kino footage they found on the jungle planet? Spoilers for "Time" Slight OCxRush


**Dr. Nicholas Rush (100 Drabbles) Drabble #99- "Shock"**

He stood by the console, plenty of others surrounding the same console. He was still trying to figure out how they had managed to find another kino. And one with a full databank for that matter. They had just found out about the planet 24 hours prior, and had already been there investigating a half hour, before they had found the metal ball lying on the ground just outside the gate. He looked to Eli as Colonel Young instructed he play the data. With the flip of a switch, the console's screen came alive with the footage that was embedded on this kino.

He was rather surprised to see the exploration crew, who for the most part, surrounded the console now. They watched as they explored the planet, looking for vegetation they could bring back onto Destiny for food. Eli cracking his usual childish jokes, even exposing himself by eating fruit that could have very well been contaminated. Further on the recording, people started getting sick. And as TJ instructed they stay on the planet, and not risk anyone else becoming infected, he resisted throwing his hands up. That was such an out there assumption, and it seemed that staying there was probably a bad option. Later, it shows he found what appeared to be open tree stumps, and heard himself mention sulphur coming from within.

They watched the video buzz out and back into focus again, showing it was night and heavily raining. He rolled his eyes as he watched Eli's insistent annoyance of trying to chat him up and be friends. He focused his attention to the monitor again as he suddenly heard screaming and a lot of gunfire. Well, this was new. He made a tiny face as these aliens were plunging themselves into different people, and literally ripping through their insides. Soon, Chloe's dead body blocked the shot of the, now he realized, damaged kino. He registered Chloe hurriedly leaving the room, hearing her retching, but he remained in his spot. He was trying to come up with the most logical explanation as to what was happening.

He tried not to convey more annoyance as Young put a Quarantine order on them all, just to be safe. As Eli played more of the kino footage, he was starting to suspect them getting sick had nothing to do with this planet. And his suspicions grew more solid as Chloe suddenly fainted. Whatever made them sick on the kino was definitely not due to the planet. But if that was the case, he wondered what was making them sick. Soon enough, TJ had called them all to the infirmary and he inspected the drinking water that was recovered from the previous planet. Sure enough, the water they had all been drinking was contaminated with tiny organisms, clearly making them ill. After that, most of them reported back to the kino room, to continue viewing the footage. He had a haunch whatever they needed to get better, was on that planet.

He watched on, it seemed their numbers were dwindling down. Watching intimate moments between Eli and TJ, then between Eli and himself. He was surprised he allowed himself to open up that much to the kid. It was true. His whole goal was to find out about Ascension. Maybe to see if it could help in him one day reuniting with Gloria. He had to try, at least.

He watched as it became night again, and an all out war between the aliens and himself, Greer and Eli took place. Pretty soon, they ran out of ammo, and when he thought he was grabbing more, he watched himself suddenly take off deeper into the forest. He heard Eli screaming after him, telling him that he was crazy.

"You are crazy!"

At Eli's outburst suddenly, the only thing he could do was shrug. Like he knew why he suddenly ran off. Aside from that, it would have been stupid to have just stood there without ammo. The aliens would have definitely taken advantage, and they were basically sitting ducks at that point. Soon, the gate came into view, and after a short debacle with Eli, and quoting one of his favorite Westerns, he watched himself basically leap to his own death. He groaned quietly to himself. He knew that jumping through the gate was like signing a death sentence, but he supposed he had no other option. Like he had said himself, someone had to try.

What tore at his heart the most, although he'd never openly admit it, was Lily. He had been watching the kino so closely; he had blindly forgotten that she had volunteered to tag along on the mission. Regardless of his requests for her not to go. He had watched her face as he jumped through the gate, and now he could hear her screams on the screen, as Eli had grabbed her hand and they were racing back to Greer.

"What just happened?! Eli, what's going to happen to Dr. Rush?!!? Eli!!!!"

He watched them continue to run through the forest, rain beating down on them. He heard her panting heavily, could hear the strain coming from her lungs at being unable to catch her breath. She was hyperventilating, probably due to the fact that she was so worried about him. He dared a glance over to her, and he saw fear written on her face, defined by her eyes. When the kino flashed briefly over her face on the screen, he saw absolute raw terror. He had never seen her eyes look that way before. He swallowed a lump in his throat, watching as the aliens managed to attack Greer, watching as Eli was still dragging Lily back to the cave, trying to outrun the creatures. Somewhere along the way, there was a hill, and with the ground slick like it was, Lily had lost her footing. He heard her scream, watching as she slid down and managed to pass out. He sighed in relief as the aliens forgot about her and continued to follow Eli.

The screen cut out, then cut back in. He heard panting, and saw the ground moving, the kino looking down. He knew who was carrying it now. The screen showed the inside of the cave, and it looked to be early morning hours, he suspected within the dawn hours.

"Eli? TJ?! RUSH?!?!"

He heard her call out, desperate, to anyone that would answer, even calling out to him. Another lump in his throat, and another tug at his heart. When she didn't get one, they suddenly could see running, and she had ran back to Greer. He watched her bend down, but then the screen cut out for a long time. When it came back into focus, she was sitting by the gate. It seemed she had tried to find something to dial where he had dialed, and had been unsuccessful. Sniffling, he watched her face come into view. It broke his heart. What took place next, it would be a bad nightmare, probably until the day either he died or she died.

"Whoever finds this, I'm so sorry. I failed him…I failed everyone. I thought I could manage by myself without him, but I can't. There is nothing else I can do. Everyone is dead. I'm…not even sure if Dr. Rush made it…I…"

Her sobbing got heavier, and it appeared she was having a really hard time coming to terms with something. He glanced back over to her, and even what she was watching, she was already in tears, shaking slightly. It was almost as if, she already knew what she was going to say on the kino. In a sense, she did.

"I've tried to radio for him, and the others on Destiny, with no response. I cannot dial the gate. I…won't be able to survive another day. I'm just so sorry that I won't try, and that I'm so weak, that I'm going to do this. If anyone finds this, or somehow, this is all a bad dream. Or if this will help anyone in the future, please turn right back around. These aliens are deadly. Please remember the bravery all these individuals on this footage showed. And…if I could speak to Dr. Rush just one last time, I'd tell him…how much I…"

He watched her tear up, unable to finish. His eyes widened, and he felt his heart stop beating as he saw the revolver in her hand. He never knew Greer had one hidden away. Probably would have used it, hadn't been those aliens closing in on him. He watched her make sure there was something in the chamber, he saw a single bullet. He watched her close the chamber, and heard the clicking of the safety being turned off. He watched her place the barrel of the gun against her temple, watching her shake, tears rolling down her lovely face. Suddenly, he watched her say something, but it was so faint, he couldn't hear her.

"I love you Nicholas."

Everyone visibly jumped, as suddenly the loud sound of a gun going off reverberated around the room. He swallowed again, feeling bile rising in his throat. He really didn't want to see what the end result had been, but her body gracefully fell back, off the rock she had been sitting on, and for a moment, the kino sat in silence. He heard her struggling to breath next to him, and then heard her run off. He was grateful TJ went to comfort her, because he was too shocked and scared to even move. He was shocked that…she'd kill herself…all because he had done so himself. He never even knew he meant that much to her.

The rest of the footage showed that Scott had managed to make it in the end after all. And it was heart breaking that he discovered everyone was dead, and especially seeing that Lily had taken her own life, and found the kino. After a brief moment of Scott barking instructions into the kino itself, he could hear that Scott managed to dial the gate. And they watched Scott throw the kino in, then watched the screen move, indicating the kino had been falling, then it slowed to a stop, next to his lifeless body. That explained what happened to him, and explained the human remains he had found earlier-his remains! That had made Lily sick all over again, and eventually, he had taken it upon himself to order Eli to stop the footage.

Actions were now being taken, Scott and Young were going back on the planet to retrieve some of the aliens, since they are the cure to what is making them sick. He frowns, hoping that they would hurry back. Already, the people who got sick on the video, were now becoming sick and border lining death already. He tried to give as best of a comforting smile as he could, Lily lying on a bed in the infirmary. He wondered, if maybe that's why she wasn't so afraid to kill herself in the first place. Maybe she knew she had the virus too. On the kino, she had looked awfully pale, more so than she was. Now, she looked like death was breathing down her neck. She had made him promise he wouldn't go back on the planet. He took her hand as he sat there. He be damned if he let her close her eyes, so he kept talking, anything to keep her responding. Soon, he ran out of things to say, and he watched her close her eyes, freaking a bit.

"I'm just…resting my eyes…"

"Lily, don't go. I need you…"

"You always say that…why? It's the…other way around…"

He heard her comment, almost breathless. His fingers pressed against her wrist, monitoring her heart rate. It was there, but weakening. He felt tears stinging the corners of his eyes, yet, they wouldn't fall.

"Lily, what was it that you said on the kino, before…I couldn't hear-"

He suddenly stopped talking, feeling her fingers press gently against his lips, to hush him. Her eyes were still closed, but she was smiling, and she gently squeezed his hand.

"Not now. It…doesn't matter. I have…plenty of time. I won't…give in…this time…"

He knew at that moment, she was still fighting, still hanging on. He always knew she was stronger than that. And it always shocked him, how much stronger she was than he was. It was something he'd always admire, secretly and afar.


End file.
